Catholic Chaplain

About the Role

Kings County Hospital Center has a rich legacy for its pioneering role in medicine. Today, with over 625 beds, the hospital remains on the cutting edge of technology and provides the most modern procedures with state‑of‑the‑art equipment. Built in 1831 as a one‑room infirmary for publicly supported care of the sick, Kings County Hospital Center continues to be a leading healthcare facility whose mission is to provide care to everyone regardless of their ability to pay. The hospital offers a wide range of health services, with specialties in all fields of modern medicine, and more than 200 clinics providing a broad array of ambulatory care services. At NYC Health + Hospitals, the mission is to deliver high‑quality health services without exception, and every employee embraces the ICARE values (Integrity, Compassion, Accountability, Respect, and Excellence) through empathic communication and partnership.

Responsibilities

• Arrange and deliver appropriate chaplaincy care to patients, families, and staff under direction, including scheduling and leading spiritual/religious services.
• Visit and interview patients to ascertain spiritual/religious background, evaluate needs, and advise on specialized resources of the Chaplaincy/Spiritual Care Department.
• Respond to patient, family, and staff requests for chaplaincy care in a timely manner.
• Comfort, counsel, and advise individuals, families, and staff experiencing personal, moral, and spiritual problems, including trauma and death.
• Document all chaplaincy care activities promptly and accurately.
• Assist patients, families, and staff in meeting spiritual/religious needs by leading or arranging ritual, worship opportunities, and support groups.
• Organize and conduct spiritual/religious educational programs.
• Provide guidance to volunteers and interns in the Chaplaincy/Spiritual Care Department.
• Maintain liaison and cooperative relationships with community organizations.
• Coordinate special departmental programs such as holiday gift‑giving to ill patients, food/clothing drives, and other spiritual/religious gatherings for staff and community members.
• Perform related work as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in Divinity, Islamic Studies, Sacred Theology, or a related discipline.
• Documented letter of endorsement from a faith‑based institution affiliated with the appropriate denomination, dated within the last six (6) months (or an equivalent academic degree or chaplain certification).
• Completion of four (4) Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) units (approximately 1,600 hours of clinical pastoral training), **or** current and valid chaplain certification issued by the Association for Professional Chaplains (APC), Board of Chaplaincy Certification Inc. (BCCI), National Association of Catholic Chaplains (NACC), Neshama: National Association of Jewish Chaplains (NAJC), **or** an equivalent certifying body.
• Alternatively, one (1) year of community‑based experience as a recognized spiritual/religious leader.
• The documented letter of endorsement (or its substitute) must be dated within six (6) months prior to the date of hire.

Preferred Qualifications

• Seeking a Catholic Chaplain.
• Advanced degree in chaplaincy, counseling, or a related field.
• Ability to communicate in Haitian Creole, French, or Spanish is a plus.